Carlo Ancelotti 'set to leave Real Madrid' as top new manager target emerges | OneFootball

Italian expected to depart after Barcelona clash in Copa del Rey final and could quickly become the new head coach of Brazil

The holders were brushed aside 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium last week thanks to a pair of brilliant Declan Rice free-kicks, then seeing their attempts at pulling off another famous ‘remontada’ - Spanish for comeback - on home soil fall flat on Wednesday night as they lost again - 2-1 this time - courtesy of goals from Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli that came either side of a swift Vinicius Jr reply.

However, he appeared uncertain about his position afterwards as boos and whistled rained down at the Bernabeu, refusing to discuss if he would still be in charge by the time the inaugural expanded summer Club World Cup begins in the United States in June.

“Maybe the club decides to replace me and maybe it could be this year, or next year when my contract is over,” he said.

“But when I am done here, I will be grateful to this club. That could be tomorrow, 10 days, one month or in one year, but if my contract ends or doesn't end, I really don't care.

“We have managed the bright side many times and we have won titles, but we need to manage the dark side too.”

Reports from multiple outlets including Sky Sports on Thursday stated that Ancelotti will not even see out the season as Madrid boss and is expected to leave the club after the huge Copa del Rey final showdown with rivals Barcelona in Seville on April 26.

He is said to be the No1 target of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) once again as they seek a full-time replacement for Dorival Junior - sacked after the recent 4-1 humiliation against arch-rivals Argentina in World Cup qualifying - and could quickly take up the role once he leaves Madrid, his first job in international management that would see him in line to coach at next summer’s World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada.

Brazil previously targeted Ancelotti when replacing former interim coach Fernando Diniz, though ended up appointing Dorival from Sao Paulo in January 2024.

Ancelotti left Everton and was reappointed by Real Madrid in the summer of 2021 as a replacement for Zinedine Zidane, having also coached the club between 2013-15 after succeeding Jose Mourinho.

His long list of honours at the Bernabeu includes two LaLiga titles, three Champions Leagues, two Copa del Reys, two Spanish Super Cups, two FIFA Club World Cups and three UEFA Super Cups.

As well as reaching the Copa del Rey final, Madrid have won both the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Intercontinental Cup already this season, but currently sit four points behind Barcelona at the top of LaLiga with only seven games left to play. They were also thrashed 5-2 by Barca in the Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia in January.

Last season, they won LaLiga for the 36th time and a record-extending 15th Champions League at Wembley as well as the Spanish Super Cup.

Ancelotti, 65, is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most successful football managers of all time, winning titles in all of Europe’s top five leagues as well as five Champions League crowns. He has also taken charge of Parma, Juventus, AC Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Napoli during his illustrious career encompassing well over 1,000 matches, a milestone he reached back in 2017.

Despite his reputation as the Champions League’s most successful coach, Madrid bosses are so often judged on their success in the competition in any given season and not reaching the semi-finals for only the third time in the last 15 years appears to have spelled the end of the road.